Things that make me angry

I saw a blog post on tumblr, and had to put in my tuppence worth. You don't mess with books around me....

Original post

500daysofkissingmypillow:

Most Targeted Books

I am so disappointed with this.

My Sister’s Keeper and other books were judged unfairly. I mean they have a point, but this is completely biased.

Source

Back to me:

Eurgh, things like this just anger me, I have read 70% of these books, and I’d read 50% of them before I turned 16. How are these ever so vulnerable things we call teenagers supposed to learn anything about the world if we are banning books? I hate all of these warriors, protecting our innocence (apparently), when really all they’re doing is feeding our ignorance. I genuinely believe I learned vast amounts about our world from books, and I implore anybody who thinks differently to actually read these books. How is anybody supposed to learn anything if you wrap them up in blankets and only let them read stories about rainbows, puppies and cupcakes? (and nothing seriously bad happens to any of them!….. ever!). That doesn’t protect anybody! It bores them! There are falling literacy rates in Britain right now, maybe if there’s something relevant to be learned in a book, someone might actually stop and read it. 

The world, unfortunately, is out there and these books tackle real issues which sadly face hundreds of teenagers every single day. The Perks of Being a Wallflower deals with the psychological after effects of abuse, The Catcher in the Rye talks about depression and the everyday struggle all teenagers know of trying to meet the expectations of those around you, and what happens when you fail, and since it’s a really bloody good novel, it also in it’s tiny 277 pages (in certain copies) tackles the issue of bereavement. And god forbid any of them mention sex, because really, we hadn’t heard of that before picking up this book… and my goodness, we’re horrified, but we want to do it right now! (sarcasm…)

So if you’re one of those really lucky people who live in a world where nothing bad ever happens, then yes, good for you, and by all means, take these books off your shelves. However, everyone else in the world, maybe, just let them read, and god knows, they might actually learn something. 

relevant things...

"Sometimes you have to get to know someone really well to realise you're strangers"
-Mary Tyler Moore

Having a Weird Name

As I said before, I am from Scotland, and over here my name, Paige is actually really unusual. 

When I was growing up, I absolutely hated my name, mostly because the perpetually uncultured souls of my home town, and their playground taunts of “oooh, Paige in a book”, “do you turn the page, Paige?”. I thought it was stupid. I also hated how it was only one syllable, it sounds like a noise, like something someone might say if they trip over, or to scare a cat away. Especially when my sister got the beautiful, after a Bronte sister, cultured, “Charlotte” (two syllables). Oh, and there is nothing funny abut the name Charlotte, except for the year in primary school when you read Charlotte’s Web… but that got old quite quickly. 

I know of a lot of people who opted for their middle name instead of their first, but to be honest, I’ve never really liked my middle name either, it’s Louise. No offence to anyone whose name is Louise, or the many, many people I’ve found since the popularity of Facebook who share my middle name. But I’ve never felt it suited me at all.

I suppose I may have faired better if the name was more popular, but surprisingly enough I never met anyone who shared my first name until I was 17 when I was volunteering at the school my mum works in, and was introduced to another Paige. 

Sometimes I wonder if my life would have been different if I was called something different, or more common, and the answer is probably yes, I would be a very different person, and standing up to the teasing has made me stronger. 

When I read John Green’s Looking for Alaska, I thought how wonderful it would have been to have been able to pick my own name, but then again, when I was Alaska’s age, I was fully immersed in the fantasy worlds of Enid Blyton, and would most likely have called myself Harriet or Amelia… which I am not sure are lesser evils. 

However, as I’ve gotten older, I’ve begun to appreciate my mother’s forward thinking. People don’t tend to forget my name, so being remembered when I started University wasn’t much of a problem, and with my name becoming more widely known, people often tell me it’s pretty. I am also thankful that I don’t have to share my name with 3 others in my class, having gone to two Catholic schools in my time, bible names such as David, Andrew and Paul were extremely popular and there were 2 of each in my first year class. So, “which Paige?” is thankfully, never a problem for me. 

Do things feel different?

Well... I am British, Scottish to be precise, which means that we have just found out that our country will now be lead by David Cameron of the Conservative party. I am a little bit worried by this fact, and how people like me will cope under the new policies. However I am more worried about my generation as a whole, who think that joining a facebook group is a legitimate contribution to your country's political system. I know people who deliberately spoiled their ballot paper, or even worse, chose not to vote at all yet think they should have a voice to complain once there is a result they don't find favourable. This flippant attitude to the country's political climate is what angers me most, not David Cameron's upper-middle class favouring policies. In addition to this, I fully believe that if everybody who had a chance to vote, (seeing as there was only 65.1% turnout with 29,653,638 votes cast - http://www.general-election-2010.co.uk/2010-general-election-results.html), had used their opportunity, then we may have seen a very different result. 

However, even those who didn't vote will insist on complaining on what a boo-hoo bad lot they've got now the the torys are in power. It is this self important attitude that the world should move around certain individuals that really makes me disappointed, not our new conservative leader. 

Which brings me to the question in the title.. will anything feel different now that conservative are in power?... I suppose we can only wait to find out. Although at present, it sort of feels like I'm little again, approaching an important birthday, and on the day, I wake up expecting to feel an extraordinary sense of change and grown-up-ness, and it's just not there.

I am now going to watch The Full Monty, which is showing on E4, which allegedly will enlighten me as to why a Tory government was really bloody awful in the 1980s. 

This is a dark little place

I almost feel like I take things out on you, you poor little blog.

My mother and I had an interesting chat tonight, and hopefully I will be able to write about those topics at another point. But mostly just now it is nearly two in the morning, and I'm just checking in with you my dear little blog, because it has occurred to me this evening that I stick to absolutely nothing, and I don't want you to feel forgotten about, or indeed be forgotten about (again), my little bloggy friend.

It's funny how things inspire you, I've been really unwell this week, some kind of viral infection that just attacked my body in so many ways, but I also had to get a shoot done this week, so I was cleaning up the space to shoot in and had a lovely BBC little film called The Gruffallo running for background noise. All of a sudden, I am awash with ideas, after about a 5 month dry spell save for one 3 page script. Funny, all it took was a twenty minute piece of magic... Even if you're not in need of a muse, I highly recommend that you watch it, it's a wonderful little animation.

I have my final essay of the year due on thursday, so I will definitely have more time for this soon. Also, how can I be half-way done with University? That seems impossible to me... but sadly, it's true.

Night x

Showtime fatigue

For the past two nights I have been involved in a review, Cabaret style show with an amateur theatre group at home, and I am T-I-R-E-D. I can only surmise that I am not as young and fit as I used to be, because I used to be able to do a week of these things and not be too fussed.
It's been weird this time, I've not been part of one of these shows in quite a while, but this time, my heart just hasn't been in it. I was having so much fun until a couple of weeks ago, when certain people involved just sucked all the fun out of it. I'm kind of glad that it's all over tonight and I can just forget about the whole ordeal. To let you understand, I am usually the shutterbug of the group, I take loads of pictures so that every little detail is captured, and I can't even bring myself to do that tonight, I don't want to remember it.